Better
by SapphicSalsa
Summary: Ms Tutweiller teaches a student who is blind, and learns some new things for herself.
1. Like a Cat

**NOTE: My first Suite Life fic, please be nice. Constructive criticism welcome.**

Ms Tutweiller put her headphones in her ears and turned the music up so loud that she couldn't hear the waves crashing against the side of the ship. She put her iPod on shuffle and So Jealous by Tegan and Sara began to play. She didn't exactly like the song, but her family had bought her the music player and filled it with music for her to listen to on the ship. It seemed mean to delete the songs, in her opinion.

It was 4:30 in the morning, and she was in her classroom, preparing for the day's lessons. After a while, the sun started to rise, it had been about an hour/ She watched the sun for a while before looking down at her papers, when she looked back up, a young woman was standing in front of her, which wouldn't have startled her, had she not taken her headphones out several minutes before. She jumped slightly, her eyes wide.

"Oh! Hello, can I help you?" She asked with a questioning smile. The girl was tall, but skinny, and her hair was dark and long, but curly. Here eyes were green, tinged with gold.

"Ms Tutweiller's classroom?" She had a slight accent, it sounded German, or Swedish. Ms Tutweiller nodded.

"Yes, but it's only 5:30. Classes don't start until 7:30, you're two hours early." The girl frowned, but her eyes seemed glazed. "Are you the new student…" She trailed off, looking at a sheet of paper. "'Willameen'?" The name read "WILLEMIJN" but she couldn't quite make out what language it was.

"Vil-eh-mine." She corrected, nodding. He head was looking down, but her eyes weren't focused. Ms Tutweiller searched the other girl's face, looking for some giveaway as to why she seemed so unfocused.

"Is everything alright, Willemijn? You seem…unfocused." The dark haired girl's face scrunched.

"It does not say?" She gestured in the direction of the papers on her desk, missing slightly. Ms Tutweiller looked at her papers, scanning for anything. She shook her head and, after receiving no response, spoke.

"No, is there something I should know?" She was confused, and slightly annoyed at the lack of eye contact.

"I am blind." She stated bluntly, showing no emotion. "That is why I am here early; I thought I would get lost, so I left early." She explained. Immediately, Ms Tutweiller's expression changed from hard annoyance to soft guilt.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't know." She stood up quickly, tripping over her chair and falling backwards, but before she could hit the floor, Willemijn had caught one of her hands and stabilized her.

"Are you alright?" Willemijn asked quietly, helping the older woman regain her footing.

"I'm fine, thanks." She replied breathlessly. It was amazing how quickly the girl responded.

"I was aiming for your waist." Willemijn stated, blushing slightly. "But I missed I haven't heard your geography yet."

"Geography?" Ms Tutweiller thought that was an interesting choice of words.

"It is a long story. Will you help me find my seat, please?" Ms Tutweiller took Willemijn to her seat and sat down next to her.

"Will you be needing anything, Willemijn?" She asked.

"Will is fine. And no, I have developed methods." She said timidly.

"Like geography?" Will nodded and told he about how she could tell who people were by three things aside from sound.

"The first is scent. Everyone smells different. For instance," she took a deep breath, "You smell like mango, kiwi, and," she took another breath, "strawberries, with a pinch of cinnamon." Ms Tutweiller was shocked. She'd used her favorite mango-kiwi shampoo/conditioner that morning, along with her strawberry body wash, and cinnamon lotion.

"Spot on!" She giggled. "So what's the second?" Will nodded.

"Body geography." The air changed from excited to curious. "The longer I know you, the more I can tell you apart from someone else. For instance, when you nearly fell, I didn't expect you to be so low down, so I only caught you wrist. Now that I know your general height, I can predict things like that better." She paused. "The third as aura, which is usually just for me, I grew up feeling people's auras. And, back when I could see a little, I learned how to predict appearance by the color of someone's aura."

"So what do I look like then?" Ms Tutweiller quirked a brow. Will paused, thinking hard.

"You have reddish hair, but it's not your natural color. Your natural color is black-brown!" She corrected herself quickly, smirking. "Your eyes are-woah."

"What woah?" Ms Tutweiller furrowed her brows.

"They're green, but like a cat, not a person. You take advantage of that, because it's entrancing." She stated matter-of-factly. "Also, you take pride in being well groomed." Ms Tutweiller smiled and stood up; the students were starting to drift in.

"I have to go, but if you need anything, you let me know, understood?"

"Understood." Willemijn nodded.


	2. All The Little Pieces

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own or claim to own any songs and/or musical pieces.**

That night was open mic night, and Ms Tutweiller decided she'd go, just for something to do on a Friday night. She hadn't assigned that much homework and hoped to see some of her less than social students there. The event was set up in the ballroom, so she managed to grab a good seat.

As she waited, several students passed by, including Zack, Cody and London. London explained that Bailey had gotten sick and couldn't make it. Soon after, the lights dimmed and Mr. Moseby stepped into the spotlight.

"Welcome to the S.S. Tipton's open mic night!" He said happily. "Our first performer is one of our very own Seven Seas High students. Miss Willemijn Goetz!" The curtain raised, Revealing Will sitting behind a keyboard.

"This song is called 'Breathe No More'." She started the piano off lightly, her fingers dancing on the keys. Ms Tutweiller was surprised that she could play so well at such a young age. She was knocked out of breath as Will started to sing.

"I've been looking in the mirror for so long

That I've come to believe my soul's on the other side

All the little pieces falling shatter

Shards of me, too sharp to put back together

Too small to matter…"

Ms Tutweiller sat back in her chair, dumbfounded at the teen's powerful voice. By the time she came back to reality, the song had ended and the audience had erupted with applause. Willemijn smiled and walked off the stage. Immediately, Ms Tutweiller left the ballroom and went straight to the backstage area, determined to find the young woman.

By the time she had reached the backstage hall, Will was sitting outside, leaning against the wall. She appeared to be talking with someone, but Ms Tutweiller couldn't see anyone in the corridor. As she approached, she managed to catch a few words.

"…No, because she'll think I'm a loon! Now SHH!" She hissed. Those words only confused the teacher more.

"Who will think you're a loon?" Will snapped her head in the teacher's direction, dark hair flying in all directions.

"Ms Tutweiller! Um, I was just…thinking out loud." She explained quickly, clearly lying. "What are you doing here?" She asked defensively.

"I came to talk to you. About two things, really.' She was suddenly nervous under the dead gaze of the taller girl.

"The first?" Will encouraged, smiling and fidgeting with something in her hands.

"Your curfew is at nine o'clock. Thought you should know." She stated. "Also, your singing was amazing, it blew me away." She gushed, smiling broadly.

"Thanks." Will blushed, but paused, looking puzzled. "Okay, so why are you really here? Is it my vision? No, I haven't been blind all my life. Yes, that's why I'm on the boat. And yes, it is a surgery that could make me blind forever." She listed off, though her tone was light until the end.

"Actually," Ms Tutweiller corrected. "I heard a story about you today, and I wanted to make sure that it was a rumor."

"Okay, shoot. But come-" She turned around, pointing towards the main deck. "-this way. The lights in this hall are distracting." Ms Tutweiller followed the taller girl out onto the wooden deck. She sat beside her at the drink bar.

"This afternoon, I was informed that you lost your parents and half of your memory in an accident, is that true?" Will flinched, closing her eyes.

"If I say yes?" She didn't like to talk about the accident because it brought back terrible memories that she wished she didn't have.

"Well…" Ms Tutweiller put her hand on Will's lower arm. "Do you want to talk about it?" Tears welled in the brunette's eyes, threatening to spill over.

"We-we were so close." Several tears ran down her cheeks. "My mom had all her bags packed, and we were on our way to the airport when a plane came down." Ms Tutweiller's breath hitched as she enveloped the girl in a tight hug.

"It wasn't your fault." She cooed, attempting to soothe Will.

"But it was!" She argued. "She wasn't paying attention, because I was fighting with dad. Like I always did. And she didn't see it. She had seen it, they would be alive!" The sobs wracked her lanky body, making them both shake. "I'm sorry. I'm ruining your evening." She pulled away, wiping at her tears.

"It's fine." She assured with a smile. They both got up and headed to the railing, leaning over it slightly. A comfortable silence fell over them.


	3. Friends

"Do you hear that?" Willemijn asked quietly. Ms Tutweiller listened closely, but only heard the crashing of waves and faint applause coming from the ballroom.

"Hear what?" Her brows knitted together. Will tilted her head back, her hair falling further down her back. It was then that Ms Tutweiller noticed the scars that were scattered on her arms and neck.

"The waves. Every one has a different voice, tells a different story." Ms Tutweiller laughed softly. "It's true, but if you stop listening for one second, you miss it." She smiled, tilting her head back down.

"So, explain this to me." Ms Tutweiller changed the subject after a few minutes. "How are you nineteen, and a sophomore in high school?" Will turned around, resting her elbows on the rail.

"That's another long story." She turned her head in Ms Tutweiller's direction, smiling weakly. The light caught the gold in her eyes, and Ms Tutweiller thought she looked like a vampire from _Twilight_.

"It's only 7:30; we've got plenty of time." Ms Tutweiller encouraged softly.

"Half of me isn't mine." Ms Tutweiller's shoulders slumped as her brows furrowed, deep in thought. After a moment, she spoke.

"I don't understand." She said in a small voice. It made her feel like a child when she couldn't understand things. She always liked to know what was going on.

"I was like a hibernating bear cub, I guess. After the accident," her voice broke on the last word, "I slept, and only woke up to eat and answer questions. I don't even remember half of the surgeries." She laughed bitterly. "I have a plane pilot's liver, a CEO's kidney, and a pinto bean farmer's heart. I had three major surgeries over the course of three years." Ms Tutweiller was silent for a moment. She bit her lip, hoping her red lipstick wouldn't come off on her lips.

"Could you see, before then?" She asked quietly.

"Not really, we were on our way to Japan. There was a doctor there that said he could remove the issue. I didn't bother listening to the whole thing." She added embarrassedly.

"Will you stay on the ship after the surgery?" Though she had known Will for less than twenty-four hours, the thought of being without the other girl made Ms Tutweiller slightly depressed. Willemijn was the kind of person that Ms Tutweiller loved to be around, she was interested in learning, and was almost always willing to hear the other side's opinion before choosing to argue.

"Most likely, and even if I don't, I'll be back." Will reassured.

"Why?" She turned to face Willemijn, searching her face for some trace of doubt.

"So I can see you seeing me see your face." She smiled brightly.

"Oh." Ms Tutweiller returned the smile, laughing slightly. She felt comfortable around Will, which worried her, because she was still her student, after all.

"We don't have to do the whole 'friends' thing, it's not necessary. I can be your friend, and your student, if you want me to be. But I don't have to." Will spoke as if she could read the redhead's thoughts. Ms Tutweiller wanted to question the girl's comment but another question bubbled up before she could counter it.

"How would we go about that? It's not like I can turn off being a teacher." She scrunched her face, upset with herself.

"Oh, I said _I_ could do it. I never said anything about you." Will said matter-of-factly.

"I…I'm willing to try if you are." Ms Tutweiller questioned her sanity as she spoke.

"Then we'll try." She nodded, smiling. Will pushed herself off of the railing, facing Ms Tutweiller's general direction. "In that case, will you help me with my homework tomorrow? It's kind of hard to read books when you can't see." Ms Tutweiller giggled, pushing herself off of the rail as well.

"Only if you'll help me plan the German unit for History, as friends, of course." Will laughed, extending her hand.

"Deal."

"Deal." They went their separate ways. As Ms Tutweiller entered her room, she felt refreshed. _This friendship thing might just work out_, she thought.


	4. Morning

The next morning, Ms Tutweiller woke early and met Will at breakfast. She had determined that Will was hilariously scatter-brained. She was talented at the art of a one-sided conversation.

"So last night, my roommate bursts in and starts talking to me about Zack and Cody starting _another_ teen club," she had started eagerly once they had sat down at a vacant table, "because, apparently, they had tried doing it once at their old house. Did you know they lived in a hotel? Anyway, she comes up to me, saying I have to help her raise money so that they can do it in the ship's ballroom. And, like, this is the first time we've met, so I don't even know her name yet. But she keeps throwing these ideas my way like they're Frisbees, right?" Ms Tutweiller nodded, a disbelieving expression painted across her face. She couldn't believe someone could talk that fast.

"And then she asks me to talk to Moseby, because somehow everyone and I do mean _everyone_, found out about my…convenience of funds, and see if I could bribe him into letting them do it. And of course I said no at first, then I offered to talk to him about it, no money involved, and she said okay, yeah? So I went to talk to Moseby this morning, and he says if I can convince everyone to be completely silent, he'll let us hold it in the ballroom tomorrow night. So guess what?" Will reached into her pocket, not waiting for Ms Tutweiller to answer. She pulled out a small mp3 player, smiling broadly. "Silent dance party!" Ms Tutweiller sat in silence for a moment, taking in the entirety of the conversation. After a few minutes she furrowed her brow.

"What exactly is a silent dance party?" Ms Tutweiller couldn't understand how someone could throw a dance party without noise, or music.

"I read an article online about how some dance clubs were using wireless headphones, so if you saw the people in the club, you'd just see a bunch of people dancing to, literally, the music in their heads." She explained quickly, after taking a sip of her tea. "Of course, there would be talking, but talking isn't loud club music. He can't say no." Before either woman could continue, Zack approached the table. Ignoring his teacher, he faced Will.

"Hey there, sweet thing, what do you say you and I go get a smoothie later?" Ms Tutweiller was appalled at Zack's behavior, but before she had time to scold him, Will spoke.

"First of all, since this ship is technically American ground, you and I wouldn't even be _legal_. And second, you aren't even my type." Zack was not half as put off as Willemijn had hoped, for he sat next to the brunette.

"And what exactly is your type, honey?" Will and Ms Tutweiller both pursed their lips.

"Redheads." Zack and his teacher shared a wide-eyed glance before Will, very quickly, spoke again. "Not like that! Well, maybe, but not on her!" She ran a hand through her hair. "Not that it doesn't look good on you, because I'm sure it does, but…you get it." Zack sat still for several moments with an amused smirk on his face before his chair suddenly fell over. Will faked a shocked expression.

"Oops! Did I do that? So, so, sorry." Ms Tutweiller bit back a laugh as she watched the twin skitter off. As soon as he was out of site, she spoke.

"That was an awful thing to do, Will."

"You thought it was funny." She pointed out, popping a grape into her mouth.

"It was still really mean."

"He had it coming." Ms Tutweiller had to agree, Zack was one of his worst behaved students, and sometimes she wished she could do what her new student had just done without getting fired. Both women finished their breakfast quickly and headed to Ms Tutweiller's room to begin working.


End file.
